Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone believes Barcelona remain the benchmark, ahead of Wednesday’s first blockbuster clash of the La Liga season between his Champions League finalists and the Spanish champions.
Simeone’s men dumped Barca out of the Champions League for the second time in three years last season, but the Argentine has yet to taste victory against the Catalans in La Liga during his five-year reign.
Ahead of the game, we look back on six historic encounters between the two Spanish giants.
1973: BARCELONA 2 – 1 ATLETICO MADRID
A key moment in Barcelona folklore came in this La Liga clash as Netherlands great Johan Cruyff conjured “The Phantom Goal”. The no. 14 leapt and spun around in one motion, somehow then contriving to produce a mid-air backheel finish.
1989: ATLETICO MADRID 4 – 0 BARCELONA
A blistering attacking performance from Atleti saw them secure their joint-highest victory in this fixture. Prolific Brazil forward Baltazar helped himself to a brace in the match’s standout display. The 4-0 thrashing secured them a spot in the Copa del Rey semis.
1997: BARCELONA 5 – 4 ATLETICO MADRID
El Mundo Deportivo described this Copa del Rey quarter-final as the “most vibrant, emotional and spectacular match of recent years”. This is no surprise considering Barça managed to win despite Milinko Pantic scoring an unanswered first-half hattrick for Atletico.
2009: ATLETICO MADRID 4 – 3 BARCELONA
A breathless La Liga match featuring several of the world’s finest attackers was edged by the hosts at the Vicente Calderon. Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi opened up a two-goal lead for Pep Guardiola’s visitors, only for Diego Forlan and Sergio Agüero to decisively strike late on.
2014: BARCELONA 1 – 1 ATLETICO MADRID
Draws are rarely celebrated, but the stalemate at the Nou Camp saw Atleti claim the La Liga crown for the first time in 18 years. Centreback Diego Godin’s header was vital during a showdown which Barça needed to win to snatch the title from Diego Simeone.
2016: ATLETICO MADRID 2 – 0 BARCELONA
Antoine Griezmann was the hero for Los Rojiblancos as his double dumped out the Champions League holders at the quarter-final stage. The France star first took advantage of poor marking, before a late penalty secured it.